Himeko Sorano: Slytherin
by Felidae Silvestris
Summary: OC character/creature Himeko Sorano attends Hogwarts out of boredom. Part self-insertion, part crack-fic, hopefully as well written as I can get it.
1. Foreword & Prologue

Himeko Sorano: Slytherin

By: Felidae Silvestris

Foreword

There are a few things that happen when stuck in a vet's examination room. 1) You lose track of time. 2) You play Tetris and think about head-canon. 3) You decide to write down said head-canon. That's how this came about, in case you were wondering.

A few warnings before you venture further.

1) This is going to be part self-insertion, part crack-fic.

2) This features a "creature" I made up and inserted into the Potter-verse in order to keep said self-insertion closer to her previous incarnations.

3) Expect some minor OOC-ness in terms of background characters.

Prologue

Himeko Sorano was not, in any sense of the word, normal. For starters, though she lived most of her life in the Wizarding World, she was not a witch. Secondly, although she was approaching her 50th birthday, she looked like a teenager.

Her appearance annoyed her above all. A 50 year old woman should not be condemned to a life of hormones! But that's how it was with her kind. Sorceresses. For some strange, unexplained reason, Sorceresses would age normally until their fifteenth year. On that fifteenth year, they would stop aging completely until such time as they met their soul mate.

Meanwhile, Himeko Sorano, with her long brown hair and blue eyes, was stuck at age 15. And she was bored out of her mind.


	2. The Idea

Himeko Sorano: Slytherin

By: Felidae Silvestris

The Idea

Himeko Sorano sighed as she cut through the throngs of witches and wizards crowding Diagon Alley. She came every year, it seemed, to be among people who appeared her own age and lament the very fact that they had somewhere to be in a month's time.

They laughed, met their friends, and gathered together school supplies. The youngest, aged 10 or 11, came dashing gleefully out of Ollivander's clutching their very first wands. Their parents beamed proudly in their wake.

Himeko envied them. Not being a witch came with disadvantages. Sure, her mother and her aunts had long since taught her how to use her powers. She did not, and never had, needed a wand. But she sort of wanted one. And she wanted to go to that _Hogwarts_ all the little witches and wizards babbled about.

"So why don't you?" asked a voice from behind her.

Himeko started and blushed – She hadn't meant to say the thought aloud. She turned to see a tall, bearded wizard with half-moon spectacles perched on his crooked nose. "I'm too old to start Hogwarts," she told him. "And besides, it isn't as if they'll just let me in."

The man smiled, his eyes sparkling. "I don't suppose you've tried writing to the Headmaster and asking, have you?"

"Well no. But if I'd been meant to go to Hogwarts, I would have gotten a letter when I was 11."

"How long ago was that?" he asked, looking her over.

"39 years ago." Himeko told him the truth, fully expecting him not to believe her.

"I see," he said simply, not even raising an eyebrow. "Might I ask, then, _why_ you want to come to Hogwarts?"

_Come to?_ Himeko wondered briefly at the phrasing. "Mostly because I'm bored. And also… it looks like it might be fun."

The old man smiled again. "That it is, that it is. Might I suggest, my dear, that you write to the Hogwarts Headmaster and tell him of your interest. The Headmaster 39 years ago is no longer with us, you see. I think you might find the current Headmaster more… open minded, shall we say.

"Now, as much as I would enjoy continuing our chat, I have other business to attend to. I look forward to your letter." He winked and was gone a moment later.

Himeko stood, rooted to the spot, staring at the place the man had disapparated from. _He looks forward to my letter? That… that… was Albus Dumbledore?_

Himeko spent the entire next afternoon drafting her letter to Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She sent it off with her owl, Alice, just as the sun was setting.

Himeko felt giddy. She bounced around her room, relieved to be well on her way to relief from boredom.

Little did she know, she was in for a very long wait…

Author's Note: Yes, meetings with Dumbledore in the street would be mobbed with people. No, I did not care to write about those people. Yes, Dumbledore is taking somewhat special interest in more than one student next year.


	3. The Letter

Himeko Sorano: Slytherin

By: Felidae Silvestris

The Letter

When the letter from Hogwarts arrived the next July, Himeko had a strong urge to light the thing on fire and be done with it. So strong, was this urge that her fingertips burst into flame and she dropped the letter.

The letter taunted her from the floor. Himeko glared at it and put out her fingers. She bent down and picked up the singed envelope. She broke open the seal and pulled out the sheaf of parchment.

_Dear Miss Sorano,_ the first page read.

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall._

_Deputy Headmistress_

Himeko stared at it, not daring to believe she'd actually been accepted. She placed the letter on the table and looked at the second paper.

_List of Required Materials_ headlined the next page. Himeko laid this one next to the first. The third sheet of parchment was written in emerald ink in scrawled, loopy handwriting.

_Miss Sorano,_

_I am sorry I could not reply to your letter sooner. I do hope however, that you still wish to attend Hogwarts._

_You will, of course, be treated just like any other student. Expect no special treatment due to your age or other abilities._

_I hope to see you at the start of term._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

Himeko stared at the letter, reread it, and stared at it again. She could feel her heart banging in her chest. She was finally getting to go to Hogwarts!

* * *

The trip to Diagon Alley to gather school supplies was uneventful, so far as that went. Holding and bonding with a wand was a strange experience. Himeko could see her aura leeching around and into the wood. She waved it, feeling childish. The wand emitted a stream of hot pink sparks.

The old man, Ollivander, broke into a smile. "A match on the first try, how fortuitous. That will be seven Galleons."

Himeko paid the man and headed home to experiment with her wand. She found the wand stunted her abilities considerably and found that uttering spells felt ridiculous. The wand, she decided, would be used only in classes. A flick of her fingers and a mere thought would suffice otherwise.


	4. Hogwarts

Himeko Sorano: Slytherin

By: Felidae Silvestris

Author's Note: I always assumed the speech we got at the beginning of Harry's first year at Hogwarts was rehearsed and repeated each year. As such, the speech McGonagall gives here is the exact speech she gave to Harry's class before they were sorted.

Hogwarts

The scarlet steam train loomed over everyone's head as they jostled along the platform. Himeko hunched over her cart and trunk, moving through the crowd as fast as possible. Upon reaching the last car, she lifted her cart onto the train and proceeded to find an empty compartment.

She shut the compartment door and pulled the shade before turning to tackle her trunk. Her hands were set palm-up in front of her and then lifted straight up. Hot pink aura, invisible to the naked eye, flowed from her hands to wrap around the trunk. The trunk lifted into the air and, with a flick of Himeko's wrists, settled into the luggage rack.

Himeko nodded to herself and tucked herself into the corner next to the window. She pulled out a book and proceeded to read. She spent the trip like this, curled up and ignoring her soon-to-be classmates.

* * *

Himeko stepped off the train and glanced around. It appeared they'd arrived in Hogsmeade Village. A very large man with a lantern loomed over the children, even the oldest boys.

"Firs' years this way!" He shouted, holding one of his massive hands up to his beard.

Himeko worked her way through the crowd, following the other first year students toward the giant man. She spared a few glances in the opposite direction, though. The older students were streaming around the station; presumably heading toward the castle.

The giant man herded the first years toward the lake, where they scrambled into a small fleet of boats. Himeko found herself in the company of two boys and another girl. The first boy had a hooked nose and greasy black hair that glistened slightly in the lantern light. He leaned almost protectively over the thin, red-headed girl. Himeko dismissed them almost at once. They weren't nearly as interesting as the second boy.

He was pale, almost unnaturally so. His short brown hair was tousled and shaggy, hanging just over his ears. But the most interesting thing was his aura. It seemed to be not one, but two auras. One was a tawny gold and the other an almost dark chocolate brown. They were at odds with each other, roiling around the boy.

"It's rude to stare," said the girl, snapping Himeko out of her thoughts.

Himeko shrugged, swaying slightly as the boat launched itself. The others had more noticeable jerks in response to the movement. "Not much else to look at, though, is there?"

"It's okay, though," the interesting boy said quietly, his face flushing faintly in the lantern light.

"If it bothers you, I won't." Himeko turned her head, glancing around at the other boats.

"How old are you anyway?" asked the hooked-nose boy. "You look too old to be a first year."

Himeko gave him a sharp look. "I'm here, aren't I?"

The boy shrugged and went back to chatting with the girl.

The bottom of the boats scraped on gravel a few minutes later. Everyone scrambled out, splashing a bit and crunching on the gravel. Himeko let the other students move past her to stand behind the giant man. He knocked on a pair of large wooden doors.

The doors opened to admit a black-haired witch dressed in emerald green robes. She surveyed the sea of students from behind a rectangular pair of spectacles. Himeko saw an equally emerald green aura surrounding the woman, with vaguely cat-shaped ears framing her hat.

"Firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

Himeko stayed toward the back of the group as Professor McGonagall led them through what Himeko assumed to be the entrance hall. They entered a small room just off the hall, where Himeko leaned against a wall and the other students chattered nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

As soon as Professor McGonagall had left the room, the chattering started up again. Himeko glanced around the room, ignoring the other students. The walls were made of the same gray stone as the rest of the castle, or what she'd seen of it. The ceiling was relatively low, but she thought that might match the time period in which it was built.

She placed a hand on one rough-hewn stone and closed her eyes. A soft pink glow slid from her mind to the stone, a question housed in magic. The magic bounced back, giving her an affirmative answer. This place was hundreds of years old.

"Just _what_ are you doing?" drawled a female voice, breaking Himeko out of her little trance.

She opened her eyes to see a girl with pale blond hair peering curiously at her from behind pale gray eyes. "Communing with the stone," Himeko told her matter-of-factually.

The girl didn't have a chance to retort as the doors swung open again.

Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, motioning to them. "Now, form a line and follow me."

As the first years were led across the entrance hall, Himeko noticed that the blond stuck close to her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. A moment later, Himeko found herself distracted by the entirely fire-lit room they were led into.

Thousands of candles floated above their heads against the backdrop of the night sky. Along the walls, huge torches added their light.

When the group ahead of her stopped, Himeko ran into a black-haired boy in front of her. He gave her a dirty look as she muttered an apology.

Professor McGonagall placed a stool on the dais directly in front of the first years. An extremely old, ratty wizard's hat was placed upon the stool. A split in the hat's fabric opened up as the hat began to sing.


End file.
